Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

स्कंद उवाच । उषित्वैवं गृहे विप्रो द्वितीयादाश्रमात्परम् । वलीपलितसंयुक्तस्तृतीयाश्रममाविशेत्

Transliteration

skaṃda uvāca | uṣitvaivaṃ gṛhe vipro dvitīyādāśramātparam | valīpalitasaṃyuktastṛtīyāśramamāviśet

Translation

Skanda sprach: Hat der Brahmane so als Haushälter im Hause gelebt und die zweite Stufe des Āśrama vollendet, dann soll er, von Falten und grauem Haar gezeichnet, in den dritten Āśrama eintreten, das Leben des Waldbewohners.

Word by Word

• स्कन्दः: Skanda
• स्कन्दः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• उषित्वा: having dwelt
• उषित्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वस् (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb of manner)

• गृहे: in the house
• गृहे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• विप्रः: the Brahmin
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• द्वितीयात्: from the second
• द्वितीयात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वितीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; विशेषण (आश्रमात् इत्यस्य)

• आश्रमात्: from the āśrama (stage of life)
• आश्रमात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन

• परम्: further/thereafter
• परम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbial accusative)

• वलीपलितसंयुक्तः: endowed with wrinkles and grey hair
• वलीपलितसंयुक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वली (प्रातिपदिक) + पलित (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुक्त (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (विप्रः इत्यस्य); समासः—वलीपलिताभ्यां संयुक्तः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष)

• तृतीयाश्रमम्: the third āśrama
• तृतीयाश्रमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृतीय (प्रातिपदिक) + आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—तृतीयः आश्रमः (षष्ठी/कर्मधारयार्थे तत्पुरुष)

• आविशेत्: should enter
• आविशेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विश् (धातु) + आ (उपसर्ग)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An aged brāhmaṇa with grey hair and wrinkles stands at the threshold of his home, turning toward a forest path, staff in hand, with a calm, resolute gaze—symbolizing the shift from gṛhastha to vānaprastha.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)
• Āśrama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Life is meant to mature into renunciation: after fulfilling household duties, one should transition to disciplined detachment (vānaprastha).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s dharma teaching context; it does not name a single tirtha in this line, but sits within the larger glorification of Kāśī as a place that supports right living and liberation-oriented discipline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A life-stage prescription: entering the third āśrama (vānaprastha) after completing the householder stage.